At the Council on Foreign Relations, Israel’s incoming director general of the Foreign Ministry Dore Gold met with Anwar Majed Eshki, his Saudi counterpart.

These historic enemies shared an identical message: Iran is trying to take over the Middle East and it must be stopped.

The meeting took place in public, but Israel and Saudi Arabia revealed they have met five other times behind closed doors. That revelation and the rare public meeting seemed designed to send a clear signal to President Barack Obama’s White House.

Iranian television even covered the event and the timing of the meeting seemed planned. It fell in the shadow of the June 30 deadline for the nuclear talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, between Iran, the United States and five other world powers.

“In fact, the Saudis and the Israelis are very, very concerned about President Obama’s being pre-occupied with Lausanne, which conflicts dramatically with the reality in the Persian Gulf,” Ettinger continued. “In fact, the Iranians are trying to topple every single pro-American Arab regime.”

Ettinger said the threat Iran poses explains the change in relations.

“As far as the Saudis are concerned, the Israelis constitute the most effective life insurance they have right now in the face of Iran,” he explained.

While Saudi Arabia — a major Sunni power — and Israel have been enemies for decades, they both see Shiite Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to their very existence.

Huge differences remain between these two historic foes, but for now their alliance seems a classic example of the Middle East maxim, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Since 2013, Christian news magazine The Olive Branch Report has featured the insightful writing and reporting of Greg Holt. His writing has been featured on American Prophet, Conservative Firing Line, DC Clothesline, Godfather Politics, Capitol Hill Outsider, Sons of Liberty Media, Rev. Austin Miles, and others. Greg is also the Publisher and Editor of Inspirational Christian Blogs.